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What Puffs Up Must Fall Down

I am abstinent by the grace of God, one more day at a time. I attended my home group meeting this morning, and followed it with the most productive and positive business (“group conscience”) meeting of which I have ever heard. Decisions were made, roles were assigned, tasks delegated, and the group remained positive even though the meeting went longer than anticipated. Even toward the end, the group enjoyed laughter and a sense of unity. It was nothing short of miraculous! Kudos to the group secretary, who led a very efficient and effective meeting, and kept things moving along in an orderly fashion. That took a great deal of preparation and dedication! I am very grateful for my fellowship and the men who make my home group a family.

“…anyone or anything that stood between me and my desires could cause me to eat. Today, I acknowledge that eating compulsively is my choice, not an outcome imposed on me by some external force.”

Blame shifting is literally the oldest excuse in the book. Not satisfied with blaming Eve, Adam even insinuated that his sin was partly God’s fault, “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’” (Genesis 3:12) I have done the same thing, angrily rebuffing the whole race of man for my own failures, then elevating myself from faulty to idol in one binge. Learning I could make a mistake without being a mistake – that my value does not come from my behavior – helped me to begin acknowledging my faults and failures. Under the unconditional love of my Savior, I am freed to seek and apply His forgiveness without superseding it with my own grudges. The result is freedom from the need for medicating such resentments with compulsive overeating.

“6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men; 7 it is better for him to say to you, ‘Come up here,’ than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.”

Christ made the same point and added, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) His words have proven true in my life. Whenever my elevator takes me to the top, I am quickly returned to the ground floor. I have found it much more favorable to be voluntarily humble than to be forcefully humiliated.

At the governor’s request, King Darius had the archives searched and found record of Cyrus’ order to restore the temple and its furnishings. Darius not only called off the territorial governors from interfering with the work of the Jews, he ordered that the reconstruction and the provision for the daily sacrifices be funded by of the royal treasury, “6:10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.” Though not a Jew himself, the Persian king recognized the power and authority of the God of Israel, and surrendered his resources to Him in gratitude for his dynasty.

Ezra 6:22 points out that, by tilting the alignment of one man, God was able to orchestrate joyful circumstances. “…the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria.” I wonder what miraculous affect He will accomplish, as I tilt a little more toward His will than mine today.